Phoradendron juniperinum
Phoradendron bolleanum
juniper mistletoe, juniper or incense cedar mistletoe, mistletoe
Bollean mistletoe, fir mistletoe
green to olive green, glabrous;
internodes terete, 5–20 × 1.5–2.5 mm.
green, brown, reddish brown, or orange, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
internodes terete, to 2 cm.
green to olive green, scalelike;
blade triangular, 2 mm, apex acute;
basal phyllotaxy transverse.
green, well developed, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
petiole very short or absent;
blade terete to narrowly oblong or oblanceolate, 7–35 × 1–10 mm, thin, base slightly tapered, apex acute-apiculate to rounded;
basal phyllotaxy transverse.
petals 3–4, 0.5–1 mm.
petals 3–4, 1–2 mm.
white or pinkish, globose to ellipsoid-globose, 4–5 × 3 mm, glabrous.
white to pink, ovoid, 3.5–5 × 3.5–5 mm, glabrous.
inflorescences 3–5 mm;
peduncle with 1 internode, 3 mm;
fertile internode usually 1, 6-flowered, seriation unknown, flowers 3 (2 proximal, 1 distal) per bract.
inflorescences 3–6 mm, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
peduncle with 1 internode, 1–2 mm;
fertile internode usually 1, 6–20-flowered, triseriate, flowers 1–3 per column or not in columns.
inflorescences 3–5 mm;
peduncle with 1 internode, 2 mm;
fertile internode 1, 2-flowered, flowers 1 per bract.
inflorescences 3–6 mm, elongating in fruit, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
peduncle with 1 internode, 1.5–3 mm;
fertile internodes 1(–2), each 2-flowered, flowers 1 per bract.
= 28.
= 28.
Phoradendron juniperinum
Phoradendron bolleanum
Phoradendron juniperinum is often classified as having two subspecies, subspp. juniperinum and libocedri. Subspecies juniperinum is found throughout the species' range as globose infections on various species of Juniperus. The larger, pendent parasites of Calocedrus from California have been recognized as subsp. libocedri. J. Kuijt (2003) argued that this habit could be a host response because intermediate morphologies are known; the two taxa are not recognized here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
This treatment follows J. Kuijt (2003), who considered Phoradendron bolleanum to be a widespread and variable species complex. The three main taxa that often have been recognized as species are Phoradendron bolleanum in the narrow sense, P. densum, and P. pauciflorum,. Phoradendron bolleanum in the narrow sense has small, narrow leaves and frequently parasitizes Juniperus as well as Arbutus. The P. pauciflorum variant has broad leaves and mostly parasitizes Abies concolor. The P. densum variant tends to have leaves that are intermediate between those of the other two variants; it ranges from Oregon to Mexico and parasitizes Cupressus and Juniperus. Molecular analyses indicate that P. bolleanum is not monophyletic unless P. minutifolium Urban is synonymized with the other variants. Hybrids between P. bolleanum and P. juniperinum produce plants closely resembling P. minutifolium (D. Wiens and M. DeDecker 1972). As pointed out by Kuijt, molecular studies will be required to determine species boundaries within this complex.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
